WordPress theme selection process

While WordPress is great for
blogging, it has evolved into a solid platform for business websites. Using
themes, you separate the website content from the layout. One question we
regularly get is what our theme selection process is. How do we choose a theme?
What items do we look for? Read on to discover the criteria you can use for your
WordPress theme selection process.

What are the goals

First, you need to understand
what you are trying to achieve with your website. Do you want to build your
list of potential leads? Or, do you want to display product information? Maybe
you want to display information about your business? Perhaps you want people to
contact you? The answers to these
questions will provide you with a list of the goals you want your website to
fulfil.

Any theme you select must be
responsive. If a theme does not automatically adjust to a visitor’s display,
then stay away from it. Not all responsive themes are created equally. Look at
the breakpoints (screen size that causes the website to adjust it’s layout).
Some themes set their breakpoints at different screen sizes. Test the theme on
a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and a desktop. Does it look good across all
devices?

Is it a good match

Next, look for a theme that complements
the content of your website. For example, a theme with a dark colour scheme may
not be the best choice for a beach rental website. As well, a theme with a lot
of extras such as carousels, video playback, and product layouts may be too
much. Look for simplicity. In today’s online world, the old adage that less is
more reigns supreme.

Is it easy to change

Select the theme that permits the
fine tuning of web page elements. Look for a theme that provides easy
customization. Choose a theme that allows you to change the layout of the page.
Some themes won’t let you change the location of the menu.

Determine how easy it is for you
to change themes. For example, some themes add custom code to the web content
that only pertains to that particular theme. In order to change themes, you
have to manually edit each page to remove the unwanted code. This gets tiresome
and leads to pages not working properly. Don’t select a theme that you become
stuck with once you have your website built.

Is it fast

Look at how the website performs.
Some themes slow a website down due to an extraordinary number of extra
features that you don’t need or use. Most themes have a demo page. Try out the
demo and examine how slow or fast the website loads. Compare the main page with
the inside pages. Do they complement one another? Do they have the same look
and feel?

Is it highly rated

Finally, have a look at the
ratings and read the customer reviews for the theme. Look for a theme that has
a high rating (at least 4.5/5). Read the good and the bad reviews. Also
consider the support options that come with the theme. How do you contact
support? Is it only good for a limited time? How often is the theme updated? Avoid
themes that have not been updated in the last six months.

There you have it. You now know
how we select a WordPress theme for a website. Feel free to use our WordPress
theme selection process when looking for a theme for your website.